And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot(Lev. 8:22-23).
As we read the regulations pertaining to the sacrifices at the Tabernacle and the consecration of the priests, we need to step backward a moment and remind ourselves of the reason for all of this activity. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to Me in the priest’s office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God (Ex. 29:43-46). Everything that was being required of the Israelites had a single purpose—to allow them to dwell in the presence of God.
The consecration of Aaron and his sons played a crucial role in the fulfillment of that purpose. They had been selected as God’s representative to mankind. Once sanctified, they would become the mediators through which sinful man could approach the Lord. Without them, Almighty God would remain unreachable. Through the lessons that we have been given of the priesthood, we have been able to understand our need for an intercessor. We were shown our greatest need through Aaron, the first High Priest. Through Christ Jesus, our perfect High Priest (Heb. 4:14-15), we can rejoice in the meeting of that need.
In order to dwell in the presence of God, Aaron and his sons were called to surrender and dedicate themselves wholly to God. This same call is placed on each of us today as we surrender ourselves to our Savior and King. Blood from the ram of consecration was applied to each of the priests in turn, symbolically placed upon his right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. In this way, their entire lives were consecrated. With their ears, they would hear the Word of the Lord; with their thumbs, they would act upon that Word in all the work they performed; and with their feet, they would walk in His ways.
Every true Christian in the world today lives with the same desire burning within our hearts—we want, more than anything else, to be able to dwell eternally in the presence of God. Only through the acceptance of Jesus as our Savior can that dream become a reality. Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me (John 14:6). As we take our place in the body of Christ, we too must dedicate our ears, hands, and feet to His service. In this way, we enter into His presence and bring glory to His name (Col. 3:17).
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed (James 6:27).
Thought for Today: When one lives daily in the presence of God, loneliness can never take root.
Christ Portrayed: By Moses as he consecrated the priests who were called for the ministry of the Tabernacle (Lev. 8:1-36). Christ is the One who sets the believer apart for service. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained (appointed) you (John 15:16).
Word Studies7:4 flanks = sides; 7:18 abomination = offensive thing, unclean, detestable to God; 8:7 curious girdle = artistic band.
Pray For Government Officials:Rep. Rob Wittman (VA), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA) • Country: Russia (142,470,272) Northern Asia • Major Language: Russian • Restricted Religious Freedom • 74% Russian Orthodox; 7% Muslim; 19% Other/None (Buddhist, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jew, Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Hindu, Bahai, Hare Krishna, Pagan, Tengrist, Scientologist, Falun Gong) • Prayer Suggestion: Pray and call upon the Lord with assurance that He will answer if you pray with a godly spirit free from sin (Is. 58:9-11).
Optional ReadingMark 6